Electric connecting block having a plurality of outlets for attachment plugs



2, 1955 R E. RICCARDELLI 2,714,712

ELECTRIC CONNE CTING BLOCK HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTLETS FOR ATTACHMENTPLUGS Filed Aug. 2, 1954 5 Sheecs-Sheet l RICHARDERICCARDELLI f0INVENTOR ATTORNEY 2, 1955 R. E. RICCARDELLI ELECTRIC CONNECTING BLOCKHAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTLETS FOR ATTACHMENT PLUGS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Aug. 2, 1954 RICHARD E. RICCARDELLI INVENTOR BMW ATTO R N EY 2 117 a 4 1 7 7 2 Y T I L A ws H G w P Um LI M 5m DH C R A AC ml. Cm m m RmF S EnTb .EE R m N 0U C O F E O R T C E L E Aug. 2, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Aug. 2, 1954 FIG? RICHARD ERICCARDELLI INVENTOR ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent O ELECTRIC CONNECTING BLOCK HAVING A PLURALITY OF OUTLETSFOR ATTACH- MENT PLUGS Richard E. Riccardelli, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,218

Claims. (Cl. 339-159) This invention relates to a safety electricconnecting block having a plurality of outlet sockets whereby electriccurrent may be readily distributed from a main supply source to aplurality of light bulbs or lamps.

This invention is particularly applicable in connection with a display,such as a Christmas tree and provides a current distributing devicewhich lends itself for ready incorporation or mounting in the display.

An object of this invention is to provide an electric current supplysource and the leads for electrically operated devices, provisions beingmade to eliminate the danger of fire due to short circuiting or arcing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety electricconnecting block for all around use, of sturdy, durable and economicalconstruction, and made of the fewest possible number of parts which are,furthermore, adapted to be assembled quickly and easily.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety electricconnecting block comprising duplicate casing members and duplicateannular metallic contact members having radially positioned contactprongs separated by a disk made of insulating material and which makesit possible to bring the contact prongs in close relation, the radialcontact prongs being perpendicular to the axis of the casing to permit alarge number of light feeding plugs to be selectively plugged in aroundthe connecting block.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will behereinafter more particularly described, and the combination andarrangement of parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims which form part of this specification.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of an assembled connecting block embodyingmy invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 in Figure 1,showing electric contact members separated by a disk made of insulatingmaterial, and showing radial contact extensions after bending to arcuateform.

Figure 3 is aside elevation showing the manner of attaching a pluralityof safety connecting blocks to form a multiple lighting unit.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the interior of the upper member of theconnecting block showing the manner of mounting an annular metalliccontact member therein, and showing radial contact extensions prior tobending.

Figure 5 is a plan View. of the interior of the lower memberpfthe"connecting block showing a disk made of insulating material and incovering relation with an annular contact member. 1

Figure 6 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of a plug forming part ofthis invention.

Figure 7 is a central cross-sectional view of a modified form ofelectric connecting block adapted to receive duplicate standard maleplugs both at the top and bottom of the connecting block. 1

Figure 8 is a plan view of the upper member of the 2,714,7l2 PatentedAug. 2, 1955 2 connecting block and showing radial contact extensionsprior to bending, the section being taken on line 7--7 in Figure 8.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the lower member of the connecting block.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 indicatesa safety electric connecting block for distributing electric current toa plurality of plugs 11, and comprising a casing made of insulatingmaterial and of two substantially duplicate lower and upper casingmembers 13, 13'.

The lower member 13 has a central tubular inlet 14 for a lead-in wire 15connected to a standard electric lighting plug 16 and having an annularrecess 17 concentric with the inlet 14. The upper casing member 13' hasan annular recess 17 concentric with the annular recess 17 in the lowercasing member 13. The upper casing member 13 has apertures 18 adapted toreceive the prongs 19 of the standard lighting plug 16.

When the multiple electric connecting block 10 is in use as a currentdistributing device for Christmas trees, the arrangement includes aplurality of connecting blocks 16), there being one connecting block ateach level at which the limbs extend from the trunk of the Christmastree. Each two successive connecting blocks 10 are connected by astandard electric plug 16. In practice, there may be four or moreconnecting blocks in use on a Christmas tree.

Each of the casing members 13 and 13 has a plurality of radiallydirected recesses 20 which respectively communicate with the annularrecesses 17 and 17' and extend to the outer periphery of the casingmember.

Two substantially duplicate annular metallic contact members 22 arerespectively seated in the annular recesses 17 and 17'. Each contactmember 22 has a plurality of radially directed contact arms 23positioned in the radial recesses 26 and stop short of the outerperiphery of the casing member thereby leaving exposed socket portions24 defined by insulating material.

As shown in Figure 2, each contact arm 23 has its outer end portioncurved in arcuate form 25 directed toward the mid-portion of theconnecting block 10.

It is to be noted that the plugs 11 which are designed to feed currentfrom the connecting block to electric lights 21 have prongs 26 whichenter the connecting block 10 radially and equally above and below aseparating disk 27. As shown in Figure 6, the prongs 26 are positionedin spaced apart relation from each other by a slot 28. It will also beseen that the plug 11 has body material spaced apart from each other bythe slot 28. The result is that the circumferential space occupied byone of the feeding plugs 11 is merely the thickness of the plug, and itis well known that the thickness of a male plug is much less than theheight of the plug.

I position the separating disk 27 between the arcuate end portions 25 ofthe contact arms 23. The disk is made of suitable electrical insulatingmaterial. I have found that when using micarta insulating material forthe separating disk 27 thatlthe break down voltage is above 2000 voltsand this is very much greater than theconventional or 220. voltsnormally expected to be used with the electric connecting blocksherewith disclosed.

The lower metallic contact member =22 has an integral contact prong 29which extends through an opening 30 in the disk 27 into one of thetransverse openings 18 in the upper casing member 13.

The upper contact member 22 has an integral contact prong 31 whichextends into the other transverse opening 18 in the upper casing member13.

Both contact members are made of suitable metal having a degree ofresiliency so that the prongs 19and 26 will rebound when flattened.

a) Screws 32 suitably secure the upper and lower casing members inunitary relation. The upper casing. member 13' has radially positionedribs 33 and the lower casing member 13 has radially positioned ribs 34-.

While I have shown an electrical connecting. block. having connectionsfor eight plugs, I may make connecting blocks having connections for asmany as twenty plugs with safety.

It is also to be noted that l mak make safety electrical connectingblocks inaccordance with the principles of this invention, to' transmitcurrent to large electrical units requiring very large current capacity,the metallic contact members being then made of suitable large currentcarrying capacity.

It is to be noted that while I have shown the metallic contact membersand the radial contact arms or prongs arranged to supply current inparallel, that i ma with slight modification of the metallic contactmembers supply el'ect'ric current in series.

It is to be noted that due to my insulating disk which separates theupper and lower contact arms or prongs from each other,l am enabled toutilize a plug having prongs that are very close together and stilloperate with safety. This arrangement of the closeness of the prongspermits me to space a greater number of plugs around a given peripheryof the connecting block than has been possible heretofore.

It is to be noted that only two metal contact members are necessary toaccomplish the purposes of this invention and that these two parts aremade by stampingoperations in dies and this contributes to the low costof the connecting block.

It is to be noted that the radial extensions of each annular contactmember is shown in flat form in Figures 4 and 5, and that in Figure 2four radial extensions are shown as they appear when bent in arcuateform forming resilient prongs 25.

Figure 7 illustrates a modified safety electric connecting block 35,comprising two duplicate casing members 36 made of electric insulatingmaterial.

Both casing members 36 have elongated central extensions 37 with throughtubular openings 38 of rectangular cross-section and adapted to receivethe prongs 19 of standard lighting plugs 16 shown in Figure 2. Eachcasing member 36 is of circular outer form and has an annular recess 39concentric therewith. The annular recess 39 has a plurality of radiallydirected rectangular recesses 40 which extend to the outer periphery ofthe casing member.

Two duplicate annular metallic contact members 42 are respectivelyseated in the annular recesses 39. Each contact member 42 has aplurality of radially directed con tact arms 43' positioned in theradial recesses 40 and stop short of the outer periphery of the casingmember thereby leaving exposed rectangular socket portions 44' definedby insulating material.

Each contact arm 43 has its outer end portion. curved in arcuate form 45directed toward the mid-portion of the connecting block 35. A separatingdisk 47, made of electrically insulating material, is positioned betweenthe arcuate end portions 45 of the contact arms 43'.

The disk 47 is of smaller diameter than the casing member 36'but oflarger diameter than the contact prongs 45 shown in Figure 7. The diskhas two apertures 48 of rectangular cross-section and positioned inalignment with the openings 38 in the central extensions 37.

The upper annular contact member 42 has a contact arm 50 secured theretoby a rivet 51' or the like. The contact arm 50 is of sufficient lengthtoextend into the tubular opening 38 of the central extension 37 of thelower casing member and terminating short of the outer surface 52 of thecentral extension 37 in a prong 19. The upper annular contact member 42has an integral contact member bent directly therefrom and which extendsinto the other tubular opening 38 ofthe central extension 37 andterminates short of the outer surface 52 in a prong19.

Similarly, the lower annular contact member 42 has a contact arm 513secured thereto by a rivet 51 or the like. The contact arm 50 is ofsufficient length to extend into the tubular opening 38 of the centralextension 37 of the upper casing member and terminating short of thelower outer surface 52 of the central extension 37 in a prong 19. Thelower annular contact member 42 has an integral contact member 53 bentdirectly therefrom and which extends into the other tubular opening 38of the central extension 37 and terminates short of the lower outersurface 52 in a prong 19'.

It will thus be seen that one or both upper and lower plugs 16 may beconnected or disconnected from the connecting block 35. This is contraryto practice with the connecting block 10 wherein the lower plug 16remains connected at all times to the connecting block.

When connecting the lower plug 16 to the connecting block W, one of thebranch wires 54 from the lead-in: wire 15 is passed through the centralinlet 14 in the casing member 13 and is secured to the lower annularcontact member 22 by a screw 55. The other branch Wire 56 from thelead-in wire 15 is passed through an opening. 57 in the separating disk27 and is secured to the upper annular contact member 22 by a screw 58.The branch wires 54 and 56 are under normal operative conditions notdetachable from the connecting block 10.

in accordance with the patent statutes I have described and illustratedthe preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be understood thatvarious changes and modifications can be made therein without departing:

from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A safety electric connecting blockfor distributing electriccurrent to a plurality of plugs, comprising an in-- sulating casing madeof two substantially duplicate members, one having a central inlet for alead-in wire and an annular recess concentric with said inlet, the otherhaving apertures for the prongs of a plug, both said casing membershaving a plurality of radially directed recesses communicating with saidannular recess, an annular metallic contact member seated in saidannular recess and having radially directed arms positioned in saidradial recesses and stopping short of the outer periphery of said casingmember, each of said arms being bent laterally prior to insertion ofsaid contact member in said annular recess to permit resilient reboundwhen flattened, an insulating disk housed between said body members andseparating said contact members from each other, said insulating diskbeing of larger diameter than the diameter of said contact armspreventing. contact and short circuiting of said contactmembers, and aplug having two'closely spaced-apart contact arms adapted to enter oneof said radial sockets, said plug having. body material coextensive withthe length of said contact prongs and spaced apart from each other,whereby when inserting said plug into one of said radial sockets,

said insulating disk will enter between the arms of said plug prior tomaking electrical contact with said contact arms and thereby providing asafety feature in the operation of said multiple connecting block.

2. A safety electric connecting block for distributing electric currentto a plurality of plugs, comprising an insulating casing made of twosubstantially duplicate members, one having a central inlet for alead-in wireand an annular recess concentric with said inlet, the otherhaving an annular recess concentric with said first mentioned annularrecess and apertures for the prongs of a. male electric plug, saidcasing members having a plurality of radially directed superposedrecesses communicating with said annular recesses, an annular metalliccontact member seated in each of said annular recesses and havingradially directed contact arms positionedin said radial recesses andstopping short of the outer periphery of said casing member, each ofsaid contact arms being bent laterally prior to insertion of saidcontact member in said annular recess to permit resilient rebound whenflattened, an insulating disk housed between said body members andseparating said contact arms from each other, said insulating disk beingof larger diameter than the diameter of said contact arms preventingshort circuiting of said contact arms, and a plug having two closelyspaced-apart prongs adapted to enter said radial recesses, said plughaving body material coextensive with the length of said contact prongsand spaced apart from each other, whereby when inserting said plug intosaid two superposed radial recesses, said insulating disk will enterbetween the prongs of said plug prior to contact of said prongs withsaid contact arms and thereby providing a safety feature in theoperation of said multiple connecting block.

3. A safety electric connecting block for distributing electric currentto a plurality of plugs, comprising a casing made of insulating materialand upper and lower substantially duplicate members, said lower casingmember having a central inlet for a lead-in wire and an annular recessconcentric with said inlet, said upper casing member having an annularrecess concentric and in superposed relation with said first mentionedannular recess, said upper casing member having apertures for receivingthe prongs of a male electric plug, said casing members having aplurality of radially directed superposed recesses communicating withsaid annular recesses, each of said casing members having an annularmetallic contact member seated in its respective recess and havingintegral radially directed contact arms positioned in said radialrecesses and stopping short of the outer periphery of said casingmember, each of said contact arms being bent laterally prior toinsertion of said contact member in said annular recess to permitresilient rebound of said arms when flattened, an insulating disk housedbetween said casing member and separating said contact arms from eachother, said insulating disk being of larger diameter than the diameterof said contact arms, preventing short circuiting of said contact arms,and a plug having two closely spaced-apart prongs adapted to enter twosuperposed radial recesses, said plug having body material coextensivewith the length of said contact prongs and spaced apart from each other,whereby when inserting said plug into said two superposed radialrecesses, said insulating disk will enter between the prongs of saidplug prior to contact of said prongs with said contact arms and therebyproviding a safety feature in the operation of said multiple connectingblock.

4. A safety electric connecting block for distributing electric currentto a plurality of plugs, comprising a casing made of insulating materialand upper and lower substantially duplicate members, one of said casingmembers having an inlet for a lead-in wire and an annular recessconcentric with said casing, the other casing member having an annularrecess concentric with said first mentioned annular recess, said uppercasing member having apertures for receiving the prongs of a maleelectric plug, said casing members having a plurality of radiallydirected superposed recesses communicating with said annular recesses,each of said casing members having an amiular metallic contact memberseated in its respective recess and having integral radially directedcontact arms positioned in said radial recesses and stopping short ofthe outer periphery of said casing member, each of said contact armsbeing bent laterally prior to insertion of said contact member in saidannular recess to provide prongs permitting resilient rebound whenflattened, an insulating disk housed between said casing members andseparating said contact arms from each other, said insu- Iating diskbeing of larger diameter than the diameter of said contact arms,preventing short circuiting of said contact arms, and a plug having twospaced-apart prongs adapted to enter two superposed radial recesses,said plug having body material coextensive with the length of saidcontact prongs and spaced apart from each other, whereby when insertingsaid plug into said two superposed radial recesses, said insulating diskwill enter between the prongs of said plug prior to contact of saidprongs with said contact arm and thereby providing a safety feature inthe operation of said multiple connecting block.

5. A safety electric connecting block for distributing electric currentto a plurality of plugs, comprising a casing made of insulating materialand upper and lower substantially duplicate members, one of said casingmembers having an inlet for a lead-in wire and an annular recessconcentric with said casing, the other casing member having an annularrecess concentric with said first mentioned annular recess, said uppercasing member having apertures for receiving the prongs of a maleelectric plug, said casing members having a plurality of radiallydirected superposed recesses communicating with said annular recesses,each of said casing members having an annular metallic contact memberseated in its respective recess and having integral radially directedcontact arms positioned in said radial recesses and stopping short ofthe outer periphery of said casing member, each of said contact armsbeing bent laterally prior to insertion of said contact member in saidannular recess to provide prongs permitting resilient rebound whenflattened, an insulating disk housed between said casing members andseparating said contact arms from each other, said insulating disk beingof larger diameter than the diameter of said contact arms, preventingshort circuiting of said contact arms, and a plug designed for receivingcurrent from said connecting block and having two spaced-apart prongsadapted to enter two superposed radial recesses and re.- dially of saidconnecting block, said plug having body material coextensive with thelength of said contact prongs and spaced apart from each other, wherebywhen inserting said plug into said two superposed radial recesses, saidinsulating disk will enter between the prongs of said plug prior tocontact of said prongs with said contact arm and thereby providing asafety feature in the operation of said multiple connecting block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,219,568 Stewart Oct. 29, 1940 2,500,987 Harpster Mar. 21, 19502,563,909 Bauer Aug. 14, 1951 2,576,165 Wood Nov 27, 1951

